Morning journal and courier., 1887-07-01
NEW UMPIRE NEEDED.
BegleYs Work ON Wednesday-Show
ing HOW He Deliberately Violated
the Playing Rules.


BeRley's Work ON Neutrality-suspicious.
ing How He Deliberately Violated
the Playing Rules
Those who saw Wednesdays game hero in
which Begley umpired had not yesterday
got over talking of his unjust decisions, and
in condemning Captain Halpin for not play
ing the game after the second inning under
protest, when Begley directly violated one of
the playing rules. In this inning Farrell
deliberately ran into Troy, who was very
near second base standing ready to take fly
ball batted by Hsckett Farrell's intentions
were plain enough to be seen. No double
play could have been made anyway even if
Troy did miss the ball, as the
rules this year such that
this neat trick by the infelders in dropping
fly ball SO as to put two instead of one out
| is stopped. If Farrells intentions had been
| honest he would have staid at first base, for
had Troy dropped the ball Hackett should
have been declared out. But Farrell nearly
knocked Troy over, and he got second base
and Hackett first. part of section OF
| rule "a of the playing rules says
| There may be cases of base runner SO fragrant
ly violating the spirit Of the rules Of the game IL
that it would become the duty Of the umpire not
| only to declare the Hout," but to also i'm
base runner plainly strikes at the bali while passing
him to prevent its being caught by the fielder; Il
catching the ball, or if he KNOCK the fielder dowr
| for the same purpose"
Section of rule So says
The base is out If he fails TO avoid fielder
attempting to field batted ball. in the manner pre-
scribed in sections and given below Of this rule
or if he in any way DISTRICTS FIEdDER aese fs
ing to field batted ball. or Intentionally lnter1eres
with thrown ball.
dissection Z. In running from first to second base
from second to third, or from third to homo base
the base shall be out if he runs more thar
three feet from direct line between suen bases &c
fielder; BUT in fielder be occupying the base
BAH the Base runner shall Fun out Of the path
and behind said fielder and shall not be declared out
In the face of these rules, however, UNI
pire Begley refused to call either Farrell or
Hackett out.
Secretary Young's Opinion on the
Pitchers style eff Delivery.
Umpire Powers has raised an important
question for settlement in regard to the cor
rect Interpretation of the pitchers rule in
which reference is made to keeping the right
foot squarely on the ground, and there is no
doubt that his Interpretation is the right
one. At first, early in the season the pitch
ers kept the righ5 foot on the ground, but
since then they have lifted the heel, and by
this means are enabled to make springy
jump step forward, giving an additional i'm
petus to the ball, and this it is which has in
creased the small figure score so greatly
within the past month. Powers says: 81
hold that, according to the new rules, no
pitcher has right to raise the heel of his
rear foot until he is in the act of delivering
the ball. When in Washington l spoke to
President Young about the matter, and told
him that, as other umpires were not ruling
similar to myself on the point, I was getting
into trouble. He told me to go on stopping
pitchers from raising the heel of their rear
foot" The foot should be kept 'fsquarely on
the ground, as the rule requires. 1t can
only be lifted as the ball leaves the pitchers
hand and not before.
In Wednesdays game here Taylor called
attention to Gruber's delivery and Brady
wanted to know of him what right he had to
call the umpire's attention to his delivery,
"You know just as well as do" said Tay.
| lor. "that Gruber is not pitching according
| to the rules" Taylor spoke once or twice
after that about his delivery, but as Captain
Halpin said nothing, no attention was paid
| to Grubers delivery after the first in ming
Every ball that ne delivered Gruber took
such long step that he stepped clean across
the front line of the box and lifted his right
foot. It is not the players, but the captains
business to attend to this matter. Lovett,
Staltz and Gruber have all done the same
thing when playing with the New Ravens,
but the captain of the latter pays no attention
to it.